Flexible implement handle grip and method of making same

Abstract

A flexible implement grip is formed with an underlist of one rubber compound wrapped with a skin of a second rubber compound with multi-colored rubber based paint or ink air dried thereon and the assembled grip vulcanized in a mold. In one version, the skin pattern is cut from a sheet of cured rubber and curable adhesive employed with the wrapping. In another version, the multi-colored ink or paint is air dried on an uncured sheet prior to cutting the skin pattern; and, no adhesive is employed with the wrapping and bonding to the underlist occurs during final vulcanizing.

1 . A method of making a flexible grip for an implement handle comprising:
 (a) formulating a first compound of one of (i) natural rubber, (ii) synthetic rubber, and (iii) blended rubber and inserting the first compound in a mold;   (b) molding and vulcanizing a tubular underlist with the first compound and removing the underlist from the mold;   (c) formulating a second compound of one of (i) natural rubber, (i) synthetic rubber and (iii) blended rubber and forming the second compound into a sheet of desired thickness and vulcanizing the sheet to form skin material;   (d) cutting a pattern from the skin material;   (e) printing colored designs with one of (i) rubber based thermally curable ink and (ii) rubber based thermally curable paint on one surface of the pattern warm air and curing the printed design;   (f) disposing unvulcanized rubber adhesive on one of (i) the surface of the pattern opposite the one surface and (ii) the outer surface of the underlist and positioning the pattern over the tubular underlist to form an assembled grip; and,   (g) vulcanizing the assembled grip.   
     
     
         2 . The method defined in  claim 1 , wherein the step of printing colored designs includes printing of multicolored rubber based thermally curable material. 
     
     
         3 . The method defined in  claim 1 , wherein the step of printing includes printing colored designs with ethylene propylene diene monomer material. 
     
     
         4 . The method defined in  claim 1 , wherein the step of reducing the second compound to a desired thickness includes reducing to a thickness in the range of about 0.1 mm and 3.0 mm. 
     
     
         5 . The method defined in  claim 1 , wherein the step of vulcanizing the second compound includes vulcanizing at a temperature in the range of about 130° C.-185° C. 
     
     
         6 . The method defined in  claim 5 , wherein the step of vulcanizing includes vulcanizing at a relatively high pressure. 
     
     
         7 . The method defined in  claim 1 , wherein the step of disposing unvulcanized rubber adhesive includes disposing rubber solvent. 
     
     
         8 . The method defined in  claim 1 , wherein the step of vulcanizing the assembled grip includes compression vulcanizing in a mold. 
     
     
         9 . A method of forming a flexible grip for an implement handle comprising:
 (a) formulating a first compound of one of (i) natural rubber, (ii) synthetic rubber, and (iii) blended rubber and inserting the first compound into a mold;   (b) molding and vulcanizing the first compound and forming a tubular underlist and removing the underlist from the mold;   (c) formulating a second compound of one of (i) natural rubber, (ii) synthetic rubber, and (iii) blended rubber and forming the second compound into a sheet of desired thickness;   (d) printing colored designs with a polymer binder paint on one surface of the unvulcanized sheet and warm air curing the design;   (e) cutting a desired pattern from the sheet;   (f) disposing printed unvulcanized sheet without adhesive on one of (i) the surface of the pattern opposite the one surface, (ii) the outer surface of the underlist; and,   (g) positioning the pattern over the underlist to form an assembled grip and vulcanizing and debossing 3D texture the assembled grip.   
     
     
         10 . The method defined in  claim 9 , wherein the step of vulcanizing the assembled grip includes pressure vulcanizing in a mold. 
     
     
         11 . The method defined in  claim 9 , wherein the step of forming into a sheet of desired thickness includes calendering into a sheet having a thickness in the range of about 0.1 mm and 3.0 mm. 
     
     
         12 . The method defined in  claim 9 , wherein the step of printing colored designs includes printing with ethylene propylene diene monomer material. 
     
     
         13 . The method defined in  claim 1 , wherein the step of vulcanizing the assembled grip includes pressure curing at a temperature in the range of about 130° C.-185° C. 
     
     
         14 . The method defined in  claim 9 , wherein the step of printing includes printing multi-colored designs. 
     
     
         15 . The method defined in  claim 9 , wherein the step of printing materials includes one of thermal curable rubber, acrylic, urethane, inks and paints 
     
     
         16 . A flexible grip for a golf club comprising:
 (a) a tubular underlist formed of a vulcanized compound from one of (i) natural rubber, (ii) synthetic rubber, and (iii) blended rubber; and,   (b) a pattern cut from relatively thin sheet material of a compound of one of (i) natural rubber, (ii) synthetic rubber, and (iii) blended rubber;   (c) a colored design disposed on one surface of the pattern, the design formed of one of (i) rubber based thermally cured paint and (ii) rubber based thermally cured ink; and,   (d) a skin formed with the pattern disposed over the underlist with curable rubber adhesive disposed between the skin and the underlist wherein the assembled grip is vulcanized.   
     
     
         17 . The grip defined in  claim 16 , wherein the colored design is formed of cured ethylene propylene diene monomer material. 
     
     
         18 . The grip defined in  claim 16 , wherein the pattern is cut from sheet having a thickness in the range of about 0.5 mm-3.0 mm. 
     
     
         19 . The grip defined in  claim 16 , wherein the adhesive and grip are cured at a temperature in the range of about 130° C.-185° C. 
     
     
         20 . The grip defined in  claim 16 , wherein the assembled grip with underlist, adhesive and skin is compression cured in a mold.